Virtual Chinese Mandarin language course

Virtual Chinese Mandarin Language course – Join your lesson from wherever you are.

您好！大家好！(Hello! Hi everyone!)

Thousands of years ago, there had been four ancient civilisations: Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, and Mesopotamia. Wars were raged and cultures got assimilated.

Only one survived to this day.

The Chinese Civilisation (華夏文化).
The Chinese languages (yes, you’ve heard that correctly – Chinese is the name of a language family, whose distinguished members include Mandarin and Cantonese) are the essence of Chinese culture, gems crystallised from years of perseverance, resilience, and power struggles. When I close my eyes and think about China, I see beyond the Communist Party. I see the grand, ancient palaces of Xi’an and Beijing (故宮、圓明園), as well as exquisite Chinese paintings of the magnificent valleys and serene mountain peaks that characterise the Chinese landscape (國畫). I see jewel-embellished crowns sported by extravagantly dressed concubines (妃嬪), gallant stone dragons (龍) that threaten to spring to life instantaneously, not to mention eon-old temples (古廟) which are testimony to the Chinese emphasis on filial piety (孝義).

China is so much more than a government. It is a country – the Middle Kingdom (literal translation of 中國, how Chinese people call their own country) – that has always captured our hearts. Surely we all love the occasional Chinese takeaway and the odd spot of Taiwanese drama (海派甜心 [Hi, my Sweetheart], cough cough); surely we all love those little soup-filled dumplings from Shanghai (Xiaolongbao, 小籠包), and the jolly Chinatowns (唐人街, or 中國城) in London and Flushing.

Learn Mandarin with us and discover the Chinese inside you today!

Okay, I am ready but I just can’t get past the ideograms. They look scary…is there an alphabet?

Unfortunately, the Chinese script (the writing system that unites all Chinese languages and is, at some point in history, adopted by Japan, Korean, and Vietnam) is not based on an alphabet. Each character or ideogram has its own meaning. But that makes learning Mandarin Chinese way more fun since individual characters/ideograms carry their own story.

Let’s take the character ‘林’ as an example. It means ‘forest’ in English. Can you see the two tall, overlapping trees that constitute the character?

Even if you don’t get it now, don’t worry! Never let that deter you! We at London Waterloo Academy are, as you already know, experts in foreign languages. Your Mandarin Chinese tutor has extensive teaching experience, and has lived in both Europe and Chinese-speaking East Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore).

What’s the big deal about Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese? And why do my friends say I should learn Cantonese even when I’m going to work in Hong Kong? Isn’t Hong Kong a part of China?

We often see scary phrases like Traditional Chinese (繁體中文), and Simplified Chinese (簡體中文). They are the two existing types of Chinese writing systems (scripts) that are used around the world by different communities;

Let’s take a look at the table below to see where: Mandarin/Cantonese is spoken; Traditional Chinese/Simplified Chinese is used.

Mandarin and Cantonese are separate languages within the Chinese family. Therefore, they are not mutually intelligible. At London Waterloo Academy, we teach Mandarin Chinese. However, if you want to learn Cantonese, drop us a line and we will have a chat over tea (metaphorical or literal, your call!) with you;

Your tutor will teach you both writing scripts, with the traditional Chinese script featuring more prominently. Don’t worry though – this is a pedagogical technique. Once you have mastered the traditional Chinese script, you will be able to read and write the simplified Chinese script as well.

Are the Chinese languages only spoken in China? I was born and raised in the UK. I don’t intend to work in China. Why should I learn Mandarin?

Apart from committing yourself to intensive cognitive training (after all, Mandarin is so different from English), you can also be introduced to a world so different from your own. A culture that has been romanticised by so many Westerners, including the famous Marco Polo.

Moreover, the Chinese languages are not just spoken in China. They are spoken in a myriad of Asian regions (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, etc.) and overseas diasporas. There are numerous Chinatowns and loads of Chinese people across the UK. Speaking Mandarin as a non-Chinese impresses locals/foreign Chinese and you get praised for your effort.

Do you like being praised?

Cultural Events – What We Do Best:

We at London Waterloo Academy breathe multiculturalism and multilingualism. We know that language learning must accompany cultural education. That’s why we cordially invite our language students (and everyone actually!) to our Chinese cultural events!

Some provisional events in Academic Year 2022-2023:

Chilling out in ‘The Moon Room’ (September) Celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival (中秋節) with us! It is a super-famous and super-traditional Chinese festival which is about the legend of Chang’e (嫦娥) that ends with her seeking refuge in the moon (living with her adorable bunny rabbit 玉兔). You also get to enjoy mooncakes (月餅) and starfruit (楊桃) with us.

Winter Solstice ‘Tuen Tuen Yuen Yuen 團團圓圓’ (Reunion as a Family) (December) We at London Waterloo Academy are a family after all! Let’s rejoice and celebrate the Chinese Winter Solstice (冬至) together! We can enjoy the beloved Chinese delicacy Tong Yuen (湯圓), which are little dough balls with black sesame/peanut fillings. Delicious!

Taiwanese Food Marathon Taiwan is famed for its food markets, also known as ‘night markets’ (夜市). We are bringing Taiwan to you! Feast upon famous dishes typical of Taiwanese cuisine (like the oyster omelette monstrosity! 蚵仔煎) and immerse yourself in East Asian culture!

The Nitty-Gritty: Lesson Arrangements: This course is intended for beginners. For false beginners or those who wish to polish their Mandarin/Cantonese, please contact the Academy office for more information (email address: info@waterlooacademy.co.uk);

Certificate of attendance provided

Once you book your course (via PayPal button on this page), we will contact you by email to let you know how to access the lessons. You will also be able to ask your tutor any questions you may have and you will get feedback on how you are achieving on the course.
Course materials included

Beginner 1 Level via Zoom
Dates for 2024 (please choose one for your course to start):
27 January 2024, 23 March, 25 May, 21 September, 23 November
Day – Saturday classes
Lesson time – from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Duration – 10 hours (spread over 5 consecutive weeks)
Level – Beginner  
Fees – £75
 Private Tuition  in-company training inquiries should be sent to admin@waterlooacademy.co.uk
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